USC

USC announces Erik Brink as new chief financial officer; senior vice president, finance

Brink had worked in multiple senior finance positions for the university since 2004.

Bovard building, USC

Bovard Administration Building at USC. (Photo by Jason Goode)

By Charlotte Calmès

The university announced the appointment of Erik Brink as the USC’s new chief financial officer and senior vice president, finance, Wednesday morning.

Brink, who has worked in various senior finance positions including vice president and comptroller at the university since 2004, began serving as interim senior vice president, finance, and interim chief financial officer earlier this year.

In the course of the university’s search, Brink “emerged as the clear frontrunner,” President Carol L. Folt said in a statement Wednesday.

“[Brink] has been a trusted partner to me and to the university’s leadership team, ensuring that our financial operations remain robust, even as we face uncertain economic headwinds,” Folt said.

In a statement to Annenberg Media, USC officials said James “Jim” Staten, the former senior vice president, finance, and chief financial officer, retired as CFO of the university in January of this year. Staten had served in the position since 2016.

“We are grateful to him for his dedicated service to the university over many years,” USC said in their statement.

Since joining USC’s staff, Brink has aided in initiatives including issuing “$500 million of new taxable bonds over the past few months,” according to Folt’s statement, in addition to helping create USC’s three captive insurance companies and managing the financials of the university’s pandemic response plans.

In his new position, Brink will oversee elements of USC’s financial operations including treasury services, budget and planning, risk management and Keck Medicine of USC’s finances.

Brink is an alumnus of the University of California, Santa Barbara with a degree in business economics and a focus on accounting. Brink and his wife Amy have a daughter studying sociology at USC, and a son who graduated from USC with a degree in political science in 2019.

Brink, is “a highly skilled strategist and leader with a passion for the Trojan Family,” Folt said. He assumed the duties of USC’s top financial executive effective on Wednesday.